The President. We just had a really important lunch. First, I want to congratulate Congresswoman Pelosi for becoming the Speaker of the House, and the first woman Speaker of the House. This is historic for our country. And as a father of young women, it is—I think it's important, I really do. And I appreciate Congressman Hoyer coming as well. We've had a—I would call it a very constructive and very friendly conversation.
Both of us recognize—or all three of us recognize that when you win, you have a responsibility to do the best you can for the country. I was pleased with a wide-ranging discussion about important issues facing America. The elections are now behind us, and the Congresswoman's party won. But the challenges still remain.
And therefore, we're going to work together to address those challenges in a constructive way. We won't agree on every issue, but we do agree that we love America equally, that we're concerned about the future of this country, and that we will do our very best to address big problems.
And so I want to thank you for coming. This is the beginning of a series of meetings we'll have over the next couple of years, all aimed at solving problems and leading the country. So, welcome. Congratulations again.
[At this point, Rep. Pelosi made brief remarks.]
The President. Thank you. Steny.
[Rep. Hoyer made brief remarks.]
The President. Thank you, Steny. Thank you all.
NOTE: The President spoke at 1:04 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Reps. Pelosi and Hoyer.
George W. Bush, Remarks Following a Lunch With Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Steny H. Hoyer Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/271711
